US issues first-ever fine for space junk

US authorities have issued the first-ever fine for space debris to a TV company that failed to properly dispose of a satellite. The company was fined €142,440 for "failing to properly deorbit" a satellite named EchoStar-7.

Large Satellite Outshines All But the Top 7 Bright Stars

Late last year, a communications satellite BlueWalker 3 became one of the brightest objects in the night sky, outshined only by the Moon, Venus, Jupiter and seven stars, according to new research.

New Technology Aims to Clean Up Space Junk

NASA has awarded a contract to TransAstra to clean up space junk. One category of debris they will target is CubeSats, small satellites the size of a Rubik’s Cube. The recycling centers would allow the collected debris to be recycled.

IBM Space Tech Wants to Democratize Space

IBM Space Tech is launching Endurance, CubeSat mission that children from all over the world will be able to use to gain access to space.

SpaceX capsule returns four civilians from orbit

Four people returned to Earth from a three-day extraterrestrial excursion aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule on Saturday evening. It was the first-ever flight to Earth's orbit flown entirely by tourists.

China launches first module of new space station

China has launched a key module of a new permanent space station, the latest in Beijing's increasingly ambitious space programme. Although 5B rocket is "unpredictably" falling back to Earth after launching the module.

A Spacecraft That Could Grab Dead Satellites With Magnets

The company, called Astroscale, has designed a spacecraft with a magnetic plate that can attach to dead satellites. That enables it to pull the satellites into a freefall.

Satellites Would be Able to De-Orbit Themselves at the end of Their Life

There are at least 34,000 pieces of large debris in Low Earth Orbit. Now spanish scientists has come up with a simple but elegant idea: equip future satellites with a tether system so they can de-orbit themselves at the end of their lives.

SpaceX given the go-ahead for Dragon's first journey into Earth orbit

NASA and SpaceX announced that they are ready to conduct the first orbital launch of Crew Dragon as early as March 2nd, a demonstration that will directly precede the first crewed launch on a US rocket in more eight years.

Galileo satellites now in orbit for improved EU satellite navigation

Once complete and with a record precision of 20cm, Galileo will be the most precise satellite navigation system in the world.

Jupiter and Venus Change Earth's Orbit Every 405,000 Years

A new study presents the first physical evidence that the Venus’ and Jupiter’s gravity can cause shifts in Earth’s orbit—and swings in its climate—every 405,000 years.

New Shepard flies again, bringing suborbital space tourism closer

Blue Origin flew its New Shepard system for the eighth time on Sunday. The company seems to be getting closer to flying people on the suborbital tourism launch system—and perhaps beginning ticket sales.

Luxury Space Hotel Could Cater To Travelers By 2022

Orion Span, a Houston-based space tech startup, has announced plans to launch the first-ever luxury space hotel into Earth's orbit by 2021.

Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic is nearly ready to launch into outer space

After over a decade in development, Virgin Galactic, a private space travel service founded by billionaire Richard Branson, is nearly ready to enter orbit.

The earth's rotation is slowing - and days will eventually be 25 hours long

After a review of celestial data spanning 27 centuries, a team of astronomers has determined that Earth’s orbit slows almost two milliseconds every 100 years.